AB 3051 (Jones) gives abused and neglected children the right to participate in court hearings that will decide their future, and clarifies existing law to explicitly allow Dependency Courts to appoint and maintain jurisdiction over Transition Guardians overseeing funds for youth who age out of the foster care system. This measure was signed by the Governor on July 21, 2008. View CAI's letter to the to the Governor (pdf)

SB 1132 (Migden) eliminates a Medi-Cal eligibility barrier facing some emancipated foster youth. By providing continuous Medi-Cal eligibility to this relatively small at-risk population, this bill will improve health access and outcomes and may reduce other public costs. California research has shown that Medi-Cal access has increased preventative health visits and reduced emergency care visits. This measure is pending in the Assembly Appropriations Committee's suspense file.

S. 3277 (Menendez) is federal legislation that would enact the Children's Budget Act, requiring each President, when he or she submits an annual budget proposal, to specifically lay out how it allocates funds for children’s programs. The “Children’s Budget” would gather all the diverse sources of federal funding for children’s program into one document to communicate a comprehensive and clear picture. View CAI's letter of support (pdf)

H.R. 6307 (McDermott), the Fostering Connections to Success Act, would among other things give states the option of covering certain children in foster care, and certain children in an adoptive or guardianship placement, after attaining age 18.